Hitting stick for baseball training

ABSTRACT

A hitting stick comprises a plate shaped like a home plate and a stick flexibly attached to the plate and extending vertically therefrom. In operation, the hitting stick can be used during a soft toss drill. Facing toward the hitting stick, the batter assumes a normal hitting stance and begins hitting soft tosses. The swing training stick teaches correct bat path and also for the hitter to maintain the barrel of the bat in the hitting zone. It focuses on staying inside the ball. If the swing is done properly, the barrel of the bat will stay close to the body and strike the inner part of the ball thrown. By doing this the swing is correct and will not strike the hitting stick. Conversely, if the swing is improper, the bat will hit the hitting stick.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to baseball training devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

A popular drill used by baseball players at all levels is the soft toss drill. In the soft toss drill, the hitter is continually fed balls tossed underhand to the hitting zone from a short distance (usually 10 to 15 feet), and the batter swings at each of them. The balls may be tossed from the front of the hitter (with the thrower shielded by a hitting net) or sometimes from the side or even behind. The main purpose of such a drill is to achieve a large number of swing repetitions. The drill may also be used to focus on particular swing elements such as staying balanced throughout the swing or difficulties such as a low and outside pitch. While the soft toss drill is useful, it fails to address important elements of proper swing mechanics such as maintaining a proper bat path throughout the swing (e.g., staying inside the ball).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A hitting stick comprises a plate that can be shaped like a home plate and a stick flexibly attached to the plate and extending vertically therefrom. In operation, the hitting stick can be used during a soft toss drill. Facing toward the hitting stick, the batter assumes a normal hitting stance and begins hitting soft tosses. The swing training stick teaches correct bat path and also for the hitter to maintain the barrel of the bat in the hitting zone. It focuses on staying inside the ball. If the swing is done properly, the barrel of the bat will stay close to the body and strike the inner part of the ball thrown. By doing this the swing is correct and will not strike the hitting stick. Conversely, if the swing is improper, the bat will hit the hitting stick.

In an embodiment, the stick will be a height sufficient to be hit by a baseball bat swung by a hitter. The hitting stick can include a flexible member disposed between the plate and the stick, the flexible member allowing the stick to be flexibly attached to the plate. In an embodiment, the flexible member is a coil wherein the stick extends partially through the coil, leaving a gap between a distal end of the stick and the plate. However, the stick may achieve flexible attachment by other means, such as usage of a rubber stick or provision of a ball joint attachment to the plate allowing the stick to pivot when struck.

In an embodiment, the coil is attached to a single socket disposed in the plate. In an alternate embodiment, there are two sockets available wherein the stick is capable of interchangeable attachment to either of the sockets. In such a case, the sockets can be arranged on opposite side of the plate, and the socket selected may depend on whether the hitter is left-handed or right-handed. For the single-socket embodiment, the socket can be placed in the approximate center of the plate or on either the left side or right side of the plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective view of a hitting stick, according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates front perspective view of a hitting stick, according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a hitting stick, according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side perspective view of the hitting stick, according to the second embodiment; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of, according to the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a side perspective view of a hitting stick 100, according to a first embodiment, is illustrated. FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of the hitting stick 100. The hitting stick 100 comprises a plate 80 and a stick 50 flexibly attached to the plate 80 and extending vertically therefrom. As shown, the plate 80 is in the shape of a home plate used in a baseball game but other shapes such a square, a diamond or a rectangle may suffice. The stick 50 will be a height sufficient to be struck by a baseball bat swung by a typical hitter (e.g., between about 4.5 feet and 6 feet in height for typical adult usage.) The hitting stick can include a flexible member disposed on a lower end of the stick 50, the flexible member allowing the stick 50 to be flexibly attached to the plate 80. As shown, the flexible member is a coil 55. The stick 50 includes a first end 50-1 and a second end 50-2, with the second end 50-2 of the stick 50 extending partially through the coil 55, leaving a gap between the second end 50-2 and a short stick 52 that extends to a socket 60 disposed in the plate. The short stick 52 preferably has about the same diameter as the stick 50 and includes a threaded portion to allow it to be screwed into the socket 60 having complementary threading. Although the hitting stick 100 is shown having a coil for the flexible member, it understood that the stick 50 could achieve flexible attachment by other means, such as usage of rubber or provision of a ball joint attachment to the plate 80 allowing the stick 50 to pivot when struck. The stick 50 may be constructed of wood, plastic, metal or any other suitable material. As illustrated, the socket 60 is situated approximately between a left side L and a right side R, and closer to the rear side. However, it is to be understood that the socket 60 could instead be situated either on the left side L or the right side R. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the stick 50 could be attached without usage of a socket 60, such as by connecting the short stick 52 or the coil 55 directly into the plate 80.

In operation, the hitting stick 100 can be used during a soft toss drill. Facing toward the hitting stick 100, the batter stands about the length of his or her bat and assumes a normal hitting stance and begins hitting soft tosses. The hitting stick teaches 100 correct bat path and also for the hitter to maintain the barrel of the bat in the hitting zone. It focuses on staying inside the ball. If the swing is done properly, the barrel of the bat will stay close to the body and strike the inner part of the ball thrown. By doing this, the swing is correct and will not strike the hitting stick 100. Conversely, if the swing is improper, the bat will hit the hitting stick 100.

Referring to FIG. 3, a top view of a hitting stick 200, according to a second embodiment, is illustrated. FIG. 4 illustrates a side perspective view of the hitting stick 200. FIG. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of the hitting stick. The hitting stick 200 is substantially the same as the hitting stick 100, the difference being that while the hitting stick 100 can accommodate attachment of the stick 50 at a single location on the plate 80, the hitting stick 200 includes interchangeable sockets 60-L and 60-R to accommodate attachment of the stick 50 into either of the interchangeable sockets 60-L and 60-R. As illustrated, socket 60-L is situated on the left side L of the plate 80 while socket 60-R is situated in the right side R of the plate 80. Although the stick 50 is shown screwed into socket 60-L, it is to be understood that the stick 50 could be unscrewed from socket 60-L and screwed into socket 60-R. Furthermore, it is be understood that in embodiments were one or more socket is provided, the device may be disassembled when not in use by unscrewing the stick 50 from the socket it was screwed into.

While this invention has been described in conjunction with the various exemplary embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hitting stick, comprising: a plate; and a stick flexibly attached to the plate and extending vertically therefrom.
 2. The hitting stick of claim 1, further comprising a flexible member disposed between the plate and the stick, the flexible member allowing the stick to be flexibly attached to the plate.
 3. The hitting stick of claim 2, wherein the flexible member is a coil.
 4. The hitting stick of claim 3, wherein the stick extends through a portion of the coil.
 5. The hitting stick of claim 4, wherein a gap exists between a distal end of the stick and the plate.
 7. The hitting stick of claim 1, wherein the plate is shaped like a home plate in a baseball game.
 8. The hitting stick of claim 1, wherein the stick extends vertically between about 4.5 feet and 6 feet in height.
 9. The hitting stick of claim 1, wherein the stick is attached to approximately the center of the plate.
 10. The hitting stick of claim 1, further comprising a first socket, wherein the stick is attached to the first socket.
 11. The hitting stick of claim 10, further comprising a second socket.
 12. The hitting stick of claim 11, wherein the stick is capable of interchangeable attachment to either the first socket or the second socket.
 13. The hitting stick of claim 11, wherein the sockets are disposed on left and right sides of the plate, respectively.
 14. A hitting stick, comprising: a plate shaped like a home plate in a baseball game; and a stick flexibly attached to the plate and extending vertically therefrom.
 15. The hitting stick of claim 14, wherein the stick extends vertically between about 3 feet and 6 feet in height.
 16. The hitting stick of claim 12, wherein the stick is attached to approximately the center of the plate.
 17. The hitting stick of claim 12, wherein the stick is attached to a socket.
 18. The hitting stick of claim 12, further comprising a second socket, each socket capable of attaching the stick to the plate.
 19. A method of using the hitting stick of claim 1 for baseball training, comprising: standing facing the hitting stick; using a bat, swinging at a soft tossed ball; and determining that the swing path was proper based on the bat not contacting the hitting stick.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the standing is at a distance about the length of the bat. 